COLUMBUS, Miss. – A private university experience at a public university value. It’s one of the many things that makes The W special.

On Tuesday, The W’s quality of education was reflected in a ranking by The College Database, listing it as one of the top Mississippi colleges with the highest financial return on investment.

“Mississippi University for Women has been recognized for providing high quality education at an affordable price,” The College Database stated in its announcement.

This distinction stems from a new metric created by The College Database. Schools on the list have annual tuition rates below $20,000, and new graduates who earn more than $40,000 per year, on average. The W’s students enter the workforce earning an estimated $40,000 per year after graduation, ranking it second among all Mississippi post-secondary schools.

With the cost of college a concern for many families, it's important for students to find a school that produces successful, well-paid graduates, the announcement further stated. Therefore, it's equally important to recognize the colleges and universities that offer both quality and affordable post-secondary options.

The W President Jim Borsig said, “This recognition confirms what our students and alumni know, a degree from The W changes the trajectory of the lives of our graduates and prepares them to be successful in their chosen profession.”

The College Database is a free, non-commercial website dedicated to providing current and future post-secondary students and their families with accurate and valuable college- and career-related information. We use only the most highly respected, authoritative data sets from the federal government and the Carnegie Foundation.

The quality of The W's academic program has been nationally recognized. U.S. News & World Report's 2013 guide, "America's Best Colleges," placed MUW at No. 18 as one of the top public Southern regional universities MUW also was ranked No. 15 in Washington Monthly's 2012 rankings of top 100 master's universities.